Questions of Envy, Humility, and Selflessness

 

“These are the few ways we can practice humility:

To speak as little as possible of one's self.
To mind one's own business.
Not to want to manage other people's affairs.
To avoid curiosity.
To accept contradictions and correction cheerfully.
To pass over the mistakes of others.
To accept insults and injuries.
To accept being slighted, forgotten and disliked.
To be kind and gentle even under provocation.
Never to stand on one's dignity.
To choose always the hardest.”

-- Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Why did I wrongly think that the world was just?

Maybe you weren’t paying attention and, just maybe, you expect the best from people who have little knowledge of what that really is.

Do you know where to find strength in difficult times?

It took me several years to finally realize my strength came from within. In reality, we are all we have. People can support us, but it is up to us to make it through. We have to make the conscious choice to survive what life throws at us. We need to dodge, confront, or attack, but never surrender to life’s challenges.

When do we become who we are?

You asked a question, so, the question was answered… by you. As René Descartes would say, “Cogito, ergo sum.” I think, therefore I am. You started on the path of who you are when you began to think. Who you are will continue to change and grow as you continue to think. Welcome to life!

“We keep becoming better & better versions of ourselves without end, though there may be some glitches, we recover & go on.”

-- Jay Woodman

When learning about what you have come to believe today, who did you learn from the most?

That is not so much a “who” as a “what.” I learned the most being in the military. I learned a career, yes, but I also learned about people. I was able to put my psychology training to work. I won an academic award while taking courses in supervision and management, and learned who people will follow into battle, and why. I learned public speaking, planning, and how to meet deadlines. Before I retired from Intelligence, I helped save the B-52 from the boneyard by helping to prove its low-level bombing capability to the staff at HQ SAC. My career in the military was a 23-year college degree. I always claim that, since I retired as a Master Sergeant, I have a “Masters” degree in military science.

What's the most humble way to say "practice makes perfect"?

Since there is no such thing as “perfect,” maybe saying “practice makes better” would be more humble.

Why did you delete social media accounts during the COVID-19 pandemic?

This would be counterproductive since it was one of the best ways to stay in touch with people, to do a job, stay mentally sharp, and continuing education. If anything, I used social media more than I would care to admit.

“Distracted from distraction by distraction”

-- T.S. Eliot 

Why do I wrongly want to be good?

The only way, I can see, for you to want to be good “wrongly” is to do it selfishly. Being “selfish” is being wrong, so you really defeat the goal of being “good” right from the start. There is nothing wrong with being good, just do it with all humility and selflessness, or you really aren’t.

Why did I wrongly think that I would get what I wanted if I was good?

Again, you selfishly expect to get something for being good. Being "good" is all about being good, not getting something for doing the right thing. Humility and selflessness will bring you the only good emotion you can ever hope for - happiness.  You should strive to be happy always.

Why can I get what I want even if I'm not good?

Getting what you want is about setting a goal and achieving it. It isn’t necessary to be good in order to get what you want. It’s necessary to be good in order to be truly happy and stress-free while you achieve your goals. 

Is envy the opposite of admiration?

One usually envies what one admires, so being the “opposite” doesn’t really follow. I just read the answer that Earl gave for this, and I think he’s right, “envy is admiration unrealized.”

“The only difference between man and man all the world over is one of degree, and not of kind, even as there is between trees of the same species. 

Where in is the cause for anger, envy, or discrimination?”

-- Mahatma Gandhi 

Why is failure encouraged in California?

Having grown up in California, what better place to encourage failure than in a state that has been significantly failing for at least 35 years, that I know of. From “garden spot” to “garbage pit,” how the mighty have fallen. So sad.

What have you done right in time?

My divorce notwithstanding, we were required to do everything right, in time, when I was in the military. For 22 years, we always received an excellent rating on our Operational Readiness Inspections. It was expected.

If you never felt guilty, what would you change in your life?

I’d go back to college and get the degree in psychology that was interrupted due to the draft for Vietnam, then I’d get a second degree in Archeology. Hey, call me mad, but I’d have a major in “Psycho-Archeology.”

“Sometimes in life, a sudden situation, a moment in time, alters your whole life, forever changes the road ahead.”

-- Ahmad Ardalan

 

And... the short answers: 

What is the best advice you got when you become an "empty nester" on downsizing your home that made a world of difference?

Divorce. Downsized and better due to it.

Why can a person get what he wants even if he is bad?

Be careful what you wish for. 

Do introverts have a hard time having a full-time job?

Does the job require being an extrovert?

What is that one thing no one knows about you?

Shhhhh… It’s a secret.

Is Good Trouble defined by speaking out peacefully?

Only if it creates trouble for something bad.

If life is really being an actor on stage, does this explain boring lulls of activity in our lives?

Do you mean, “intermission”?

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages."

-- William Shakespeare

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as a chaplain at the regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony:  tolerantpastor@gmail.com